


Countdown

by cosmicruin



Series: the ineluctable you [3]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-16
Updated: 2016-04-16
Packaged: 2018-06-02 14:38:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6570148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmicruin/pseuds/cosmicruin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One secret can change everything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Countdown

Suspicion hounded Sehun in the following days.

For someone confrontational, Jongin hadn’t kicked up a fuss after listening to Sehun’s half-assed explanation. Sehun had braced himself for the long line of questions and inevitable talk, but Jongin did nothing except gaze at the letter he’d snatched back in panic and nodded. Case closed, incident forgotten.

No glaring changes occurred. Jongin still bought him two cups of bubble tea on nights he drafted and agonized over a stubborn blueprint. Jongin still lit up like a brand new bulb when he picked him up from the theatre and bought takeout Kyochon for their movie nights. Jongin still scolded him for taking a hundred selcas on his phone without permission but praised his best shots.

Behind the laughter and silliness, a sliver of dread lingered at the back of his mind. Jongin might’ve shown nothing out of the ordinary, but Sehun also knew he never gave up without a fight.

Two weeks later, Sehun woke up to a picture-perfect breakfast worthy of being featured in food magazines.

Everything tasted as good as it looked, too.

Sehun bit his lower lip, unsure if he should laugh or cry. Jongin must be pretty desperate to know the story behind the letter if he sorted to cooking.

He sighed and put his chopsticks down. The action wasn’t missed by Jongin, whose chewing obviously slowed.

“I’m touched you remember how I like my rice in the morning, but you can just straight out ask me about it.”

Jongin had the decency to look sheepish. “You looked uncomfortable during the time, and I didn’t want to pressure you into answering if you weren’t prepared.”

The clink of glass filled the short silence as Sehun sipped some water.

“So. That letter.”

“Not for you.”

Sehun patted himself on the back for the steadiness of his voice. He also wanted to slap himself. Seven years had passed—the feelings had faded so it shouldn’t matter anymore, but his actions seemed intent on telling him otherwise.

“Really,” Jongin stated more than asked. “You don’t mean that.”

Sehun’s jaw clenched at the confidence in his tone. “I could’ve known another Jongin in college.”

“You’d have told me if you did.”

Sehun huffed in mild irritation. “News flash: I’m not obligated to tell you everything about my life, even if we’re best friends.”

Jongin looked like he’d been slapped. Sehun regretted the words instantly, chest tightening at the hurt he saw in his face.

“Right. Sorry. That was out of line, and—” A deep, steadying breath. “Sorry.”

Not even Jongin’s smile of assurance could assuage the raging guilt. Sehun escaped to the bathroom without finishing his breakfast. Brushing his teeth might not undo the situation, but it gave him something else to focus on.

He rinsed and wiped his mouth with the back of his left hand, freezing at once at what he saw in the mirror.

On the inside of his wrist was a single cherry blossom petal, bright pink and taunting.


End file.
